Electronic device including a display driven based upon first and second alternatingly read memories and related methods

Abstract

An electronic device may include a display and a biometric image sensor configured for biometric image sensing. The electronic device may also include a display driver coupled to the display. The display driver may include first and second memories and a processor configured to alternatingly read respective illumination pattern data from the first and second memories to drive the display during biometric image sensing.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 a display; 
 a biometric image sensor configured for biometric image sensing; 
 a display driver coupled to the display and comprising
 first and second memories, and 
 a processor configured to alternatingly read respective illumination pattern data from the first memory to drive the display during biometric image sensing and from the second memory to drive the display also during the biometric image sensing; and 
 
 a device processor communicating the illumination pattern data to the display driver and configured to
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the second memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the first memory, and 
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the first memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the second memory. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the processor and the device processor are implemented as separate integrated circuits (ICs). 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the biometric image sensor is configured to communicate the illumination pattern data to the display driver. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the display defines a finger placement surface. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the display comprises a light emitting diode (LED) display. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 5  wherein the LED display comprises an organic LED display. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the first and second memories each comprises a static random access memory (SRAM). 
     
     
       8. An electronic device comprising:
 a housing; 
 a biometric image sensor carried by the housing and configured for biometric image sensing; 
 wireless communications circuitry carried by the housing; 
 a display carried by the housing; 
 a display driver coupled to the display and comprising
 first and second memories, and 
 a display processor configured to alternatingly read respective illumination pattern data from the first memory to drive the display during biometric image sensing and from the second memory to drive the display also during the biometric image sensing; and 
 
 a device processor configured to cooperate with the wireless communications circuitry and display driver to perform at least one wireless communications function and selectively operate the display, respectively, the device processor configured to
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the second memory while the display processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the first memory, and 
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the first memory while the display processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the second memory. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the device processor communicates the illumination pattern data to the display driver. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the display processor and the device processor are implemented on separate integrated circuits (ICs). 
     
     
       11. The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the display defines a finger placement surface. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the display comprises a light emitting diode (LED) display. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device of  claim 12  wherein the LED display comprises an organic LED display. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the first and second memories each comprises static random access memory (SRAM). 
     
     
       15. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a display, a biometric image sensor configured for biometric image sensing, and a display driver coupled to the display, the method comprising:
 using a processor of the display driver to alternatingly read respective illumination pattern data from a first memory of the display driver to drive the display during biometric image sensing and from a second memory of the display driver to drive the display also during the biometric image sensing; and 
 using a device processor to communicate the illumination pattern data to the display driver and to
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the second memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the first memory, and 
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the first memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the second memory. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the processor and the device processor are implemented on separate integrated circuits (ICs). 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  further comprising using the biometric image sensor to communicate the illumination pattern data to the display driver. 
     
     
       18. An electronic device comprising:
 a display; 
 a biometric image sensor configured for biometric image sensing; 
 a display driver coupled to the display and comprising
 first and second memories, and 
 a processor configured to alternatingly read respective illumination pattern data from the first and second memories to drive the display during biometric image sensing; and 
 
 a device processor communicating the illumination pattern data to the display driver and configured to
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the second memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the first memory, and 
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the first memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the second memory. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The electronic device of  claim 18  wherein the processor and the device processor are implemented as separate integrated circuits (ICs). 
     
     
       20. The electronic device of  claim 18  wherein the display defines a finger placement surface. 
     
     
       21. The electronic device of  claim 18  wherein the display comprises a light emitting diode (LED) display. 
     
     
       22. The electronic device of  claim 21  wherein the LED display comprises an organic LED display. 
     
     
       23. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a display, a biometric image sensor configured for biometric image sensing, and a display driver coupled to the display, the method comprising:
 using a processor of the display driver to alternatingly read respective illumination pattern data from first and second memories of the display driver to drive the display during biometric image sensing; and 
 using a device processor to communicate the illumination pattern data to the display driver and to
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the second memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the first memory, and 
 write the respective illumination pattern data to the first memory while the processor drives the display based upon the respective illumination pattern data from the second memory. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23  wherein the processor and the device processor are implemented on separate integrated circuits (ICs).